u/feline-fanatic

Can someone answer whether it’s okay to take low-dose naltrexone (4.5mg) before a HIDA scan, and if not, how long should I stop it before? I know that morphine may be used to trigger a spasm of the sphincter of oddi, and I’m worried that the naltrexone could block those effects since it’s an opioid agonist.

I’m not really trusting mixed AI responses and would like to hear from someone who knows what they’re talking about. I asked the person who scheduled my appointment but she didn’t know what naltrexone is and told me the morphine was needed because the scan is supposed to be painful.

Also any tips on what to eat for the fatty meal a few hours before the scan as a vegetarian?

I lost 30 lbs (13.6 kg) over the course of a couple of years without really trying. I was overweight for my height, max of 170 lbs (77.1 kg) at 5’3” (160cm), so I was happy about the weight loss but also a bit concerned. I went to the doctor to find out if I should be worried because I also had a change in bowel habits and blood in my stool regularly. She congratulated me on the weight loss, and didn’t seem concerned about the GI symptoms or offer a referral. I made a GI appointment on my own and they promptly scheduled a colonoscopy (I’m 31) after hearing my symptoms. Thankfully the colonoscopy was clear of anything dangerous.

Fast forward a few months and I kind of want to continue this weight loss thing since I know I’m safe. I plateaued at 140 lbs (63.5 kg) and GLP-1s became super accessible. I made the stupid decision to go on semaglutide short term, to reach my goal weight of 120 lbs (54.4 kg) and then try to maintain that without the meds.

It started out fine. No more food noise, no struggling to limit portions, no cravings for unhealthy foods. As my dose increased, so did the side effects. Nausea, vomiting, muscle loss, weakness, near-fainting and eventually gastroparesis. I am pretty sure that I lost 20 lbs (9kg) of pure muscle. I couldn’t tolerate any type of exertion without throwing up. I was not keeping much down, and also wasn’t digesting things fast enough before they started to ferment in my stomach. I was throwing up undigested food from 2 days prior. I was lucky if I managed to eat 400-500 calories in a day. I would almost faint every time I stood up, had to sit in the middle of the floor to stop from falling. It was miserable. But I hit my goal weight and quit the meds.

After all of that, 50 lbs (22.6 kg) of total weight loss, I still have high cholesterol and high triglycerides. I have started working with a nutritionist to help me balance my diet and maintain my weight in a healthy way.

Now, for the reason I’m making this post. 5 weeks after stopping the meds, I had 7/10 abdominal pain for 1.5 hours this morning that felt like someone was reaching into my upper abdomen and trying to yank my spine through the front of my body. I vomited bile. I spent the rest of the day in bed with 3/10 pain and a high heart rate, afraid to eat something again. I finally went to an urgent care, where both the nurse and the doctor were sure to congratulate me on my weight loss multiple times, after I just finished telling them how miserable I was on the GLP-1 and that my cholesterol and triglycerides are still high. Left with a possible diagnosis of gallbladder attack or pancreatitis, likely as a result of taking the GLP-1s, unconfirmed because they didn’t have an ultrasound machine or equipment to run labs. Along with no less than 4 comments about how great it was that I lost all that weight. The doctor even made a comment about how he didn’t think it was my gallbladder until I mentioned the GLP-1 because I look “young and healthy instead of old and fat”.

I don’t deserve any congratulations because I put almost no effort into losing the weight. I didn’t try with the first 30 and took the “easy way out” with the last 20 (no shade to folks on a GLP-1, I am only applying this sentiment to my own situation). My cholesterol and triglycerides are somehow worse than where I started, I have zero muscle mass with a high risk of osteoporosis, and now a potential gallbladder or pancreas issue to deal with. But yeah losing weight is the best. I would happily go back to 170 lbs (77.1 kgs) if it meant that I could have perfect cholesterol and never vomit again.